Survival (Bob Marley and the Wailers album)
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Smash Hits | 5/10[2] |
Survival is a reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers released in 1979.
Survival is an album with an outwardly militant theme. Some critics speculate that this was due in part to criticism Marley received for the laid-back, ganja-soaked atmosphere of his previous release, "Kaya", which seemed to sidetrack the urgency of his message.[3] In the song "Africa Unite", Marley proclaims Pan-African solidarity. The song "Zimbabwe" is a hymn dedicated to later-independent Rhodesia. The song was performed at Zimbabwe's Independence Celebration in 1980, just after the official declaration of Zimbabwe's independence.
Survival was originally to be called Black Survival to underscore the urgency of African unity, but the name was shortened to prevent misinterpretations of the album's theme.[3]
Track listing
Original Tuff Gong LP (Jamaican pressing) (1979) and Tuff Gong CD (422-846 202-2 Barry Diament remaster) (1990)
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where stated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Much Trouble in the World" | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Zimbabwe" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Top Rankin'" | 3:10 |
| 4. | "Babylon System" | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Survival" | 3:53 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Africa Unite" | 2:54 |
| 7. | "One Drop" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Ride Natty Ride" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Ambush in the Night" | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Wake Up and Live" (Bob Marley, Anthony Davis) | 4:58 |
Original Island Records LP (ILPS 9542)(1979)
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where stated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wake Up and Live" (Bob Marley, Anthony Davis) | 4:58 |
| 2. | "Africa Unite" | 2:54 |
| 3. | "One Drop" | 3:51 |
| 4. | "Ride Natty Ride" | 3:50 |
| 5. | "Ambush in the Night" | 3:12 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "So Much Trouble in the World" | 4:00 |
| 7. | "Zimbabwe" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Top Rankin'" | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Babylon System" | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Survival" | 3:53 |
Tuff Gong cassette (Jamaican pressing 7910 DP) (circa 1984)
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where stated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wake Up and Live" (Bob Marley, Anthony Davis) | 4:58 |
| 2. | "One Drop" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Ride Natty Ride" | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Ambush in the Night" | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Top Rankin'" | 3:10 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Africa Unite" | 2:54 |
| 7. | "So Much Trouble in the World" | 4:00 |
| 8. | "Zimbabwe" | 3:51 |
| 9. | "Babylon System" | 4:21 |
| 10. | "Survival" | 3:53 |
Island Records LP re-issue (ILPS 9542 (i) or ILPM 9542)(1986)
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where stated. Issued by Island Records with a Tuff Gong disc label. Track list revised, all tracks on side A move to side B and vice versa.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Much Trouble In The World" (Bob Marley) | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Zimbabwe" | 3:50 |
| 3. | "Top Rankin'" | 3:10 |
| 4. | "Babylon System" | 4:36 |
| 5. | "Survival" | 4:00 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Africa Unite" | 2:50 |
| 7. | "One Drop" | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Ride Natty Ride" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Ambush In The Night" | 3:10 |
| 10. | "Wake Up And Live" (Bob Marley, Anthony Davis) | 5:10 |
The Definitive Remastered edition (2001)
All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where stated
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Much Trouble in the World" | 4:00 |
| 2. | "Zimbabwe" | 3:51 |
| 3. | "Top Rankin'" | 3:10 |
| 4. | "Babylon System" | 4:21 |
| 5. | "Survival" | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Africa Unite" | 2:54 |
| 7. | "One Drop" | 3:51 |
| 8. | "Ride Natty Ride" | 3:50 |
| 9. | "Ambush in the Night" | 3:12 |
| 10. | "Wake Up and Live" (Bob Marley, Anthony Davis) | 4:58 |
| 11. | "Ride Natty Ride" (12-inch mix) | 6:23 |
| Total length: | 44:25 | |
Musicians
- Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion
- Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass, rhythm guitar, percussion
- Carlton Barrett – drums, percussion
- Tyrone "Organ D" Downie – keyboards, percussion, backing vocal
- Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
- Junior Marvin – lead guitar, backing vocal
- Earl "Wire" Lindo – keyboards
- Al Anderson – lead guitar
- Rita Marley – backing vocals
- Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
- Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
- Carlton "Santa" Davis – drums on "Africa Unite"
- Mikey "Boo" Richards – drums on "Wake Up And Live"
- Val Douglas – Bass on "Wake Up and Live"
- Dean Fraser – Tenor and Alto Saxophone
- Headley Bennett – Alto Saxophone
- Ronald "Nambo" Robinson – Trombone
- Melba Liston – Trombone
- Luther Francois - Trombone
- Junior "Chico" Chin - Trumpet
- Jackie Willacy - Trumpet
- Micky Hanson - Trumpet
- Lee Jaffe – Harmonica[4]
Production
- Producers - Bob Marley & The Wailers, Alex Sadkin
- Mastering - Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC
Front Cover
The album's front cover depicts 48 African flags, 14 of which (in italics) are now obsolete, and the flag of Papua New Guinea:
The album's title appears in white (City typeface) with the Brookes slave ship engraving in the background.
- Notes
- a. ^ Now the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
- b. ^ Now Burkina Faso.
- c. ^ Now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- d. ^ Now the Republic of the Congo.
- e. ^ The flag is shown upside-down on the front cover.
References
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Review: Survival Bonus Track". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
- ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (November 1–14, 1979): 29.
- ^ a b Tribute to Bob Marley The Daily Star.
- ^ Roger Steffens and Leroy Pierson, Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Definitive Discography (Cambridge, MA: Rounder, 2005)
